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Video Signal and Connector Types
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Vi d e o S i g n a l a n d C o n n e c t o r Ty p e s
Overview
With the increase of technological advances such as the cable television, the VRC, the S-VHS
VCR, the LaserDisk and DVD players, the satellite receiver, the PVR, the Home Theater PC,
and the High-Definition TV, there is a huge assortment of video standards to handle along with
a variety of cable types, terminations, and configurations to deliver them. There are three
distinct concepts: signal formats, cable types, and connector types. Video devices use a variety
of different interfaces. However, most video connector types share the common trait of being
easy to connect. Because manufacturers need to balance convenience for the consumer use with
balance, they prefer to use simple interfaces for video connectors that average users can
connect and disconnect without having to tighten thumbscrews, or release tabs and latches.
Digital Video connectors are used to deliver the highest quality video signal. The technology
uses TMDS (Transition Minimized Differential Signaling) to transmit large amounts of digital
data from the source to the display, resulting in high-image quality.
A cable is a transmission line; its function is get signals from point to point without meaningful
alteration. Consequently, when one has incompatible source signals and destinations, a cable
won’t solve the problem. One can’t simply wire up a cable with an F-connector at one end and
a DVI-D plug at the other and expect to pull digital video out of an antenna. It can get
confusing when the terms are mixed together but separating out these concepts will help
understand what can and can’t be hooked together, and how. It is almost always possible to
fabricate a cable which will physically join two components, but whether that cable once
installed will actually successfully convey a signal from point A to point B is another question,
which has more to do with signal types than with connector types. Connections that look
perfectly compatible with one another can be completely incompatible. This article will discuss
further into the signal, cable, and connector types.
All rights reserved. Product description and product specifications are subject to change without notice.
For latest product information, please visit Acnodes’ web site at www.acnodes.com
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Tel: 909.597.7588
© Copyright 2015 Acnodes Corp.
Fax: 909.597.1939
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Signal Types
The best way to understand what can and cannot be hooked together is to understand what kind
of signal is running through the line. When there are two pieces of equipment, one putting out
and the other receiving the same signal type, they can talk to one another as long as there is a
cable to join them.
Composite Video
Composite is the lowest common denominator of video signals. Composite Video is a single
signal which carries both the chrominance (color) and luminance (brightness) components of a
video signal, along with sync information, on a single wire. It does not need to be demodulated
to be understood by a video display. Like other baseband video formats, a composite video
signal does not carry any audio content, which must be handled separately. Nearly all video
devices have a composite input and output. This format uses a single RCA or BNC connector.
In professional editing environments, composite video signals are most commonly used for
troubleshooting, for menu outputs, and for low-quality preview monitoring. For consumer and
home use, composite signals are often used to connect VCRs or DVD players to television.
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For latest product information, please visit Acnodes’ web site at www.acnodes.com
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© Copyright 2015 Acnodes Corp.
Fax: 909.597.1939
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S-Video
The 4-pin Mini Din connector is the proper name for what is commonly referred to as an SVideo connector. The connector has 4 pins arranged in 2 rows, as well as a keying black to
make certain the plug cannot be inserted improperly. Even though the S-Video connector has 4
pins, it only carries two signals- luminance and chrominance. The format splits the
chrominance and luminance out onto two separate lines, “C” and “Y”, each requiring its own
cable; the sync pulses are carried on the luminance line. The Luminance is a black-and-whitewide-bandwidth television signal. The Chrominance is the color information of the video. The
other 2 pins are used for signal ground connections.
Component Video
Component video ordinarily refers to “Y/Pb/Pr” or “YUV” video. In Y/Pb/Pr Component
Video, there is a luminance channel, “Y”, which carries the luminance along with the sync
pulses, and two color-difference channels, which carry signals representing Blue minus
Luminance (B-Y, or Pb) and Red minus Luminance (R-Y, or Pr). Component YUV separates
col o r and b ri ght n es s i nf orm at i on i nt o t hre e si gn al s, whi ch ke eps t h e col or
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quality more accurate than that of other systems. Component YUV is as good as analog video
gets. Both component YUV and RGB signals use from three to five connectors. Three BNV
connectors plus a fourth can send a timing signal. Sync can also be embedded in the Y or G
part of the signal (using three connectors), a separate composite signal on a forth connector, or
separate H and V drive signals (using five connectors).
RGB and its variants: RGsB, RGBS, RGBHV
The original “component video” was RGB, which appears in three principal varieties, each
requiring a different number of connections. The most common type is RGBHV, with five
lines: red, green, blue, horizontal sync, and vertical sync. RGBHV is the standard use in VGA
and other analog PC computer monitors. RGBS, having four connections, differs from RGBHV
in having the vertical and horizontal sync combined on a single channel, while RGsB, or “syncon-green”, places the sync information on the green channel.
DVI and its several flavors: DVI-D, DVI-A, DVI-I
DVI is identified both with more than one signal type and more than one connector type. “DVIA” is nothing but RGBHV in a funny connector and is not digital at all. “DVI-I” is
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not really a signal type, but a connector type which combines DVI-A and DVI-D. DVI-I
connector has extra pins at one end, which carry most of the analog video signal. It can be used
either for a digital or analog signal because it contains both the digital and analog pins. DVI-D
is a parallel digital standard which consists of up to seven balanced lines (all other common
video standards are run unbalanced) carrying the video itself, and five miscellaneous
conductors carrying other information. Because this is a signal rather than an analog signal, it
can only be converted to another format through device that is equipped to decode the digital
bitstream and render it in analog form.
SDI
SDI (Serial Digital Interface) is the standard for high-end, uncompressed digital video formats
such as D1, D5, and Digital Betacam. To capture digital video from these formats at the highest
possible quality, a video interface with an SDI input and output as well as a high-performance
disk array is needed to accommodate the high data rates. Many devices can send both video and
audio data through a single SDI connection.
HD-SDI
HD-SDI (High Definition Serial Digital Interface) is a higher-bandwidth version of SDI
designed for the extremely high data rates required by uncompressed HD video. Like SDI,
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HD-SDI is capable of sending both video and audio through a single connection. There are
discussions of HD-SDI performing better than HDMI. HD-SDI was created by the broadcasting
industry to be the very best way to transmit HD video and therefore do not need HDCP (highbandwidth digital content protection), a type of security protocol that forces the source device
to generate a security key in order for the TV to display content. HDMI would need such
component and so it slows down the connection speed from input to output meaning that HDSDI will respond quicker and smoother while video switching. HD-SDI uses locking BNC
connectors guaranteeing the cable won’t get pulled out. HD-SDI uses standard coax cable (RG6) which is drastically cheaper to produce than HDMI, which uses a proprietary cable. HD-SDI
cables can run to lengths of 300 meters before needing help. HD-SDI can easily be scaled down
and because of HDCP, HDMI is not backwards compatible with VGA without a device that
generates HDCP keys. HD-SDI carries video signal and time code in one able whereas HDMI
has no time code support. On the consumer market, HDMI does a great job holding the position
of being the standard HD video connection. In the professional video industry where things like
quality, durability, speed, time code, and flexibility are all must haves, HD-SDI is the way to
go.
Connector Types
When trying to figure out a connection problem, it is important to ensure Type A signal type is
really an input of Type A since it is always possible to hook up two devices that employ the
same video signal type whether they use the same connector.
HDMI
HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. This technology carries the same video
information as DVI but adds the capacity for digital audio and controls signals as
well. It is a proprietary audio/video interface for transferring uncompressed video data
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Fax: 909.597.1939
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and compressed or uncompressed digital audio data from an HDMI-compliant source device,
such as display controller, to a compatible computer monitor, video projector, digital television,
or digital audio device. HDMI is a digital replacement for analog video standards.
VGA
An increasing number of devices are showing up with 15-pin connectors; there are about as
many names as pins for this computer, which is well known as the plug used with most PC
computer monitors and consequently is often called a “VGA” plug. Because the plug can be
used with so many different video standards, it is important to note to use a 15-pin connector on
a device and to know what sort of video it can put our or take in. The “pinout” is the same
either way; a cable designed to carry RGBHV will carry Y/Pb/Pr on the Green/Blue/Red lines,
respectively, so that all one needs to do is match up the color-coding on the plugs.
DisplayPort
DisplayPort is an interface technology that is designed to connect high-end graphics capable
PCs and displays as well as home theater equipment and displays. Like HDMI and DVI,
DisplayPort utilizes TMDS (Transition Minimized Differential Signaling) link
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For latest product information, please visit Acnodes’ web site at www.acnodes.com
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Fax: 909.597.1939
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technology to send high bandwidth video and audio signals. DisplayPort has the ability to daisy
chain multiple monitors due to the double bit rate advantage. DisplayPort can passively convert
to HDMI. It supports graphic card manufacturers, the primary drivers for display. It also
support major computer and monitor manufacturers like Apple, Intel, Dell, HP, and the like.
The RCA Plug and Jack
The RCA is the most common connector type on consumer gear for composite and component
video, as well as for both digital and analog audio. RCA jacks color-coded yellow on a device
usually are composite video inputs and outputs. The RCA connector is not a 75 Ohm design but
it is used in a multitude of 75 Ohm applications.
The BNC Plug and Jack
The BNC is the standard connector for most video signals on professional gear, and is showing
up increasingly on high-end consumer gear as well. It will be labeled similarly to the RCA,
indicating composite video (one connection), Y/C s-video (two connections), Y/Pb/Pr (three
connections), or one form or another of RGB. BNC plugs have good impedance characteristics,
and their locking mechanism keeps them securely in place once connected. Because they are
more expensive and harder to connect than RCA plugs, they are often used for higher-end
and/or professional audio/video equipment. They are very common in CCTV and surveillance
camera applications.
All rights reserved. Product description and product specifications are subject to change without notice.
For latest product information, please visit Acnodes’ web site at www.acnodes.com
14628 Central Ave. Chino, CA91710
Tel: 909.597.7588
© Copyright 2015 Acnodes Corp.
Fax: 909.597.1939
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